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I confess: after the spring recital, I succumbed to the CR craze and decided to learn it. I looked at the score and sight-read the first 2 pages at recognizable tempo (something like 60) - not too bad - I could sight read (with many errors, mind you) up to the point where the 2 hand start playing 16th - then I had to divert to playing chords instead of 16th in the left hand.

Do I understand it correctly that there are 2 different versions of the score? If yes, where can I get the second one?

Thanx,

P.S. This forum is getting addictive. How do you guys and gals deal with it ???

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving." Katharine Hepburn

I know what you mean, YD. Someone on this forum has a signature that says something like: Teacher says, "Practice more. Post less." I laugh every time I see it. On the other hand, I've gotten so much great information and feedback on the forum, that I know it's made my playing better. Plus, it's great fun and there are lots of nice people here!

By the way, I just printed out the Burrows version the other day from SK's post. I play from the K version, but I'm not sure if it's still saved on my hard drive. I'll look and let you know. I didn't realize there was a Maksim version.

Originally posted by NancyM333: I know what you mean, YD. Someone on this forum has a signature that says something like: Teacher says, "Practice more. Post less." I laugh every time I see it. On the other hand, I've gotten so much great information and feedback on the forum, that I know it's made my playing better. Plus, it's great fun and there are lots of nice people here! [/b]

Indeed, I've only been active here for 2 weeks, and already gor so much great info. What a great bunch of enthusiastic people!

Quote:

By the way, I just printed out the Burrows version the other day from SK's post. I play from the K version, but I'm not sure if it's still saved on my hard drive. I'll look and let you know. I didn't realize there was a Maksim version. [/b]

I started looking at Burrow's version - but just got both K and Maksim versions from Mel (Thanx a lot!). Maksim's version is what I'll be learning - it has a beautiful, syncopated bass line played mostly in octaves - I just played through the first 2 pages at half tempo, and it is absolutely amazing! Will take quite a while to master, though, it is much heavier than either K or B versions.

I am honored you'd ask me to join the Liebestraum group. I just began Liszt's Consolation, and I think I'll finish that before tackling Liebestraum. I've been reading the posts over there, though, and I'm going to follow along with your progress.

Mel, could you send me the Maksim version also? I don't think I've ever seen it, and although I doubt I'll switch at this point, maybe I could add a few aspects of Maksim to my K version and see how it sounds.

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving." Katharine Hepburn

I have started the K version and am immersed in it. I had my first lesson since 1989 last Wednesday. I am working on CR and the Entertainer. My timing is atrocious, but I am making some progress.

What is the Maksim version like? Can someone send me a copy.

Has anyone liked different versions enough to blend them? Gee, the K version sounds so great I can't imagine what the others sound like. I am also curious why there are so many versions. Is the original author rolling over in his grave over all this? Is this an obscure piece? My piano teacher had never heard of it.

brazospiano, somewhere in these 19 pages you'll see a post by piano*dad describing how his son cut and pasted sections from the K and Burrows transcriptions together. Or if you don't want to read all 19 pages , you can try sending a PM to piano*dad and asking what they did.

Originally posted by brazospiano:What is the Maksim version like? Can someone send me a copy. [/b]

I sent it to you via PM.

Quote:

Originally posted by brazospiano:Has anyone liked different versions enough to blend them? Gee, the K version sounds so great I can't imagine what the others sound like. I am also curious why there are so many versions. Is the original author rolling over in his grave over all this? Is this an obscure piece? My piano teacher had never heard of it. [/b]

I looked at all three of them (earnier today - before that I only looked brievly at B version), and originally decided to learn Maksim version for a much fuller bass line. Then I started playing the first page and found some places whre I liked B version better. Maksim bass is waaaayyy better IMHO though, so if I were to stick with strict note-by-note playing, I'd still go with Maksim. However, I don't have to stick with anything- I am just doing this for fun. So I play a "not-quite Maksim" version now (only got 1st page at about 80 beats per second, so it is really just beginning). I found the piece to be quite flexible, and easy to modify to suite your tastes.

CR is not an obscure piece, but a modern "rock-classic" fusion composition, so, if your teacher is only into classical music, it is not very surpsing the (s)he never heard of it.

I checked out YouTube and found Maksin playing Croatian Rhapsody with an orchestra. Pretty cool! The Hungarian Rhapsody is also quite beautiful, but longer and appears harder.[/b]

Wade:

This is an understatement of a century. 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody is up there with Liszt's Transcendental and Chopin's 10- and 25- series etudes in the level of difficulty, while Croatian Rhapsody, even in the harder Maksim's version is, well, maybe, grade 6 or so. The score I have of the 2nd rhapsody is 30 pages long (dense!), CR is 5 The Presto part of 2nd rhapsody is played twice as fast as CR

Hopping into this study group out of nowhere I must say that this piece and Nancy's performance of it in the recital threw me of my chair. Superb job, Nancy! What's even better, I played the piece to my teacher last week and gave her the score, she was immediately intrigued - and came to my lesson today, sat down and started playing the piece. And what's even much more better (sorry for violating English grammar) is what she said after that: "Sit down, you can learn this piece, let's start." Which we did.

That's great that your teacher likes this piece. I had the same experience. My teacher is likes some jazz/blues pieces, but she's mainly classical. I thought she'd dislike Croatian Rhapsody, but she really likes it and is very excited that I'm playing it for my adult recital next week. In fact, she told another adult who was thinking of skipping the recital, "No, you have to come and hear Nancy's piece." That made me feel great. I've played some things that are lots harder than CR, but CR is just fun and infectious. I have been going over to her house and practicing on her piano we use for the recital. It's a Yamaha grand, and the bass is very big compared to the treble, and the keys are much stiffer than on my Yamaha upright. By the last page my arms are tired and my fingers sloppy, and the bass comes out booming over the right hand. So I hope to remedy those problems with a little practice there.

By the way, at the recital I have to introduce the piece with something about the composer. Does anyone have any information about him aside from what is on Wikipedia? I have the Piano Life magazine, but it's in Japanese so I don't know if it gives any information about him or not. Wikipedia's information is pretty sketchy. I'm not sure it even says what his age is.

By the way, Patty, you have the smoothest English I have ever seen from a non-native speaker. I know you work as a translator, but even knowing that I am always surprised by your mastery of slang and idioms that we use on PW. I am very typical of Americans in that I know very little of any language besides English (I took French in high school and a refresher class ten years later for a trip to France, and I haven't used my French since then, and that's been 20 years now). So I am always impressed by someone's ability to speak and write a second language. I think the English speakers on this forum take it for granted, but you all amaze me.

I'm just looking at learning this piece. I have a version of Croatian Rhapsody by Tonci Hyljie - but I'd really like to learn Maksim's version - sounds like it is different. Where would I find this and/or can anyone send me a copy?

The one I have is the Kanematsu version, I think. I'm not at home right now, but if you haven't gotten one by Sunday when I get back from the beach, I'll get it out of my home computer file and PM it to you.

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving." Katharine Hepburn

If anyone learns the Maksim version and records it (slow is almost better for me to listen and learn from it), I would love to hear it.

I have stopped work on CR for several weeks while I polish off the Entertainer. It is no means recital ready, but it is getting closer. I am going to start CR after my lesson on Wed. Right now I am planning on doing the K version, but would consider doing the Maksim version but I would sure like to hear it first...

One year ago, when this thread started, I searched youtube for a Croatian Rhapsody Video of someone playing. Now there are at least 10 home videos of people playing. I think the song is becoming more popular.